Page 116 of The Fighter
“Of course.”
He pulled me to the side. “Answer me honestly. Knowing the truth, would you still want me as your ruler?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely.”
Khan’s tongue ran along the edge of his front teeth. “And if I held a democratic election, would you think less of me?”
I shifted my balance and scratched my neck. “Knowing that you’re pressed against a wall, I get that you’ll have to make a ballsy move, but democracy… I don’t know, Lord. That’s a hard pill to swallow.”
“Yeah. My critics will have an easy time making me look weak.”
“At least you’ll have the support of all the women who moved here. They all admire Pearl and love the idea of democracy. You would have their vote.”
“The women can’t win me an election alone.”
“What the hell are you two whispering about?” Magni called from his bed in a low voice. “I thought you wanted to discuss this with me.”
We both turned to Magni. “I wanted to know if Leo would vote for me despite what he heard today.”
“And?” Magni asked. “Would you?”
“It’s hard to imagine anyone can challenge Khan’s level of connections and expertise. We may all despise the man who sired him, but Lord Wolf has been gone for more than forty years now and the results you’ve created as a ruler are impressive.”
“Is that a yes?” Magni asked.
“Yes, I would vote for Khan and you to stay in power. I may not agree with everything you do, but I see the progress and the way our country prospers.”
Khan picked up the picture of Nikolai Wolf again. “I hate how much I look like him.”
“Give me that picture.” Magni only lifted his arm a little when he reached for it. “Nah, you don’t have the same nose or mouth. I’m still not convinced that he’s your dad. We should have a test made.”
“I guarantee you that Marcus had a test done already.”
“It doesn’t matter, Khan. We are brothers. Always!”
Khan sat down on the edge of the bed next to Magni’s hip and the two men linked their hands together in a masculine, rough way. “Are you ready to risk it all?”
Magni hesitated and then he gave a weak smile. “You’re really serious about having an election?”
“I know it’s crazy but Pearl has been talking about this since I met her, and the idea of the Northlands being a democracy doesn’t offend me like it once did. Things wouldn’t change much if you and I are still in power, but we would have been chosen to lead by the people. Not just our dad, butthe people, Magni.”
Magni shook his head. “I can’t believe we’re even contemplating it. That’s fucking crazy! Yet, a small part of me kind of likes what Laura said.”
“About the beach?”
“About saying screw you all.”
Khan sat with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Yeah, but you did that once, remember?”
“I went to Alaska. That’s different from a warm beach.”
“Our country suffered during your absence, and none of us want to surrender power. We are too patriotic for that.” With a deep inhalation, Khan leaned his head back and brushed his hand up and down his throat. “I wonder what would happen if we allowed our critics to speak up. All the shitheads who constantly work in the shadows, criticizing what we do. They have no idea about the burden of leadership.”
I kept quiet, not sure why the brothers had allowed me to stay.
Magni coughed. “There hasn’t been an election in the history of the Northlands, and I can tell you for sure that our father would be rolling in his grave if he heard us talking about democracy.”
Khan shrugged. “Our situation is different from every ruling family before us. They never had a place to retreat to in case they lost an election, but with Pearl’s connections to the Motherlands, it doesn’t have to be a matter of power or death.” He pointed out the window. “If the fuckers are dumb enough to pick someone else, we can go live in the sun. And even if that happens, I predict it won’t take long before they call and beg us to come back.”
